PAC Release

TRAFFORD, Pa. -- Allegheny College softball was elected fourth and was one of three teams to earn a first-place vote in the 2026 Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) Preseason Coaches' Poll released by the conference on Friday afternoon.

Since joining the PAC ahead of the 2023 season, the Gators have finished no worse than third place. They're predicted to make another run at a postseason berth again in 2026 after tying for third with a 13-7 conference record last spring.

The Blue and Gold earned 93 points and one first-place vote in the preseason poll. Allegheny joined first-place Westminster College and second-place Geneva College as the only teams to receive a first-place vote. The Titans topped the poll with 117 points, followed by Geneva with 108 and Grove City College with 102. The drop off between Allegheny in fourth and Waynesburg University in fifth was significant, as the Yellow Jackets trailed by 23 points.

The PAC's announcement also included a list of Players to Watch for the upcoming 2026 season. Allegheny was represented by five student-athletes, headlined by senior outfielder and two-time All-PAC First Team selection Samantha Phillips (Pittsburgh, Pa./Mt. Lebanon). Phillips, who boasts a career batting average of .394 as a three-year starter, amassed 49 hits, 32 runs, and 21 RBIs last year.

Joining Phillips on the PAC's watchlist are juniors Madison Hulse (San Diego, Calif./Rancho Bernardo) and Julia Perillo (New Fairfield, Conn./New Fairfield), sophomore Alaina Sharp (Lewistown, Pa./Mifflin County), and first-year Samantha Foley (Fombell, Pa./North Catholic).

The Gators will make their annual trip to THE Spring Games in Central Florida during the first week of March. The season begins on Sunday, March 1, with a doubleheader against Carnegie Mellon University and Capital University at 1:30 p.m. and 4 p.m., respectively.